The 6-foot-5, 305-pound Merling was arrested Wednesday in Weston, Fla., and taken to Broward County Jail. A court appearance was scheduled for later Thursday. In Florida, aggravated battery is considered a second-degree felony.

It was unknown if Merling had a defense attorney and a call placed to his agent, Jimmy Sexton, was not immediately returned.

Merling had 33 tackles and 2 1/2 sacks for the Dolphins last season. The Dolphins are scheduled to hold a three-day minicamp for veterans starting Friday.

Maybe it would been better to say "Another NFL player in trouble" or something to that effect.

Onetime? little overboard don'tcha think. Killa just posted an article about a player in our division, anything about our main rivals is relevant here from stats to dog p00. Chill guys it's a holiday weekend can't we all get along...LOL!

I liked the article, while it surely doesn't represent everybody in the Fins organization there is no denying Miami players from all sports are often getting into deep "@#$%". Im just surprised Brandon Marshall wasn't holding the women down while the other dude smacked her!

Aggravated Battery...That means he slapped her around at the least. When they say assault that could be anything and doesn't even have to be physically Violent. This guy is definitely scum. This is good ammo for the Miami trolls that take shots at us.

Miami and the Jets are Both doing their best to keep the Work release program going.

One thing Parcells has NEVER cared about is thuggery. This is why I think he is incredibly overrated as a personnel man. this goes all the way back to his time with the Pats too. He also doesn't value intelligence as much and this is why he's done little in the cap era. Overrated. Parcells is relying on hsi name from a completely different era.Posted by russgriswold

Really? He's helped to turn around the Miami Dolphins from a 1-15 season in 2007. He's done a lot for Dallas and Miami in the salary cap era and despite what kind of "characters" he brings in, the production he gets from them is all that matters in the end.

You are putting too much stock into character. It's clouding your judgement. Vontae Davis had a great rookie season and Brandon Marshall, despite whatever idiotic antics he pulls off the football field, is still a top player in the NFL. Yes, like you said, he could bomb out in Miami and make Parcells look bad in hindsight. But as of now, the move to acquire Marshall for two second round pick seems fair and ideal relative to his production and abilities moving forward. Maybe it'll turn out that the big contract, including a boatload of guaranteed money, isn't what Marshall deserved but for you to blatantly put that on Parcells as a negative when we haven't even had a chance to see the results is just ridiculous. Cut the guy some slack.

And while in Dallas, he basically set up the nucleus for the Cowboys recent playoff contending teams. He played a huge part in drafting DeMarcus Ware, Jason Witten, Terrence Newman, Marion Barber, Jay Ratliff and Bradie James at middle linebacker. There are a host of other solid role players that he and Jerry Jones plucked in the draft. There are also very few early round busts that really set back the Cowboys franchise or kept them from improving.

You're being a little harsh on Parcells for some reason and I'm not sure why, unless you're like that with everyone. Maybe you should readjust your expectations. Overrated because of these little teeny tiny things? Overrated because Parcells has built teams that have contended but never won the Super Bowl? That's too much in my book. Parcells is one of the greatest team builders in NFL history. Is that too much to say? Depending on the context and scope, no, that isn't really overrating Bill Parcells.

In Response to Re: Miami is just so classy arent they? : Of course, although Miami was not as a bad as 1-15 either. In 2009, they certainly showed some nice signs, but like I said, "overrated". It doesn't mean weak or bad. it means overrated. What has Parcells built in NY, Dallas or Miami so far? A few sniffs at the playoffs? Ok. What is so great about this from a personnel standpoint? There was another thread about this recently too, so no need to go in depth about his overrated career as GM again, but he doesn't put stock in character as much as NE does when evaluating a player. Not much further down than 1-15 for him to go, so of course he helped improved the team. My point is Parcells never put a lot of stock in intelligence or character. He never has. Look at the players he drafted here (Christian Peter, amongst others), in NY and in Dallas (with help from Jerry Jones who is another overrated talent evaluator in the cap era). Contracts and the money you allot to a player is far more critical than it ever was pre cap, not that Parcells was a GM pre cap era. Look at last year with Vontae Davis. They bring in Brandon Marshall which be a disaster. Long list of questionable character guys who also are very talented that has plucked from the draft. Even some players on Dallas who are very talented have had some issues with character. He loves athletes more so than being concerned about who they are as people. It will catch up. It already has to a degree. Didn't Ronnie Brown just get a DUI too?Posted by russgriswold

DAVIE, Fla. (AP) -- Miami Dolphins defensive end Phillip Merling has been arrested on a charge of aggravated battery against a pregnant woman. The 6-foot-5, 305-pound Merling was arrested Wednesday in Weston, Fla., and taken to Broward County Jail. A court appearance was scheduled for later Thursday. In Florida, aggravated battery is considered a second-degree felony. It was unknown if Merling had a defense attorney and a call placed to his agent, Jimmy Sexton, was not immediately returned. Merling had 33 tackles and 2 1/2 sacks for the Dolphins last season. The Dolphins are scheduled to hold a three-day minicamp for veterans starting Friday. Read More: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/football/nfl/05/27/merling.ap/index.html#ixzz0pFm1iIRa Get a free NFL Team Jacket and Tee with SI Subscription And Miami fans have the nerve to talk trash about our players? This guys beat on pregnant women. Classy real classy.Posted by MVPKilla2009

Passing up on Randy Moss in the first round because he might have character issues is a good example of character over talent? Character should be secondary to production and ability. Listening to all of the tales of the Dallas Cowboys players of the 90's and the Steelers players during their great run in the 70's, there were a lot of talented players that contributed to the success of those teams while being bad people. Parcells drafts defense very, very well and I don't know why you dispute that. Drew Bledsoe, Chris Slade, Troy Brown, Willie McGinest, Ty Law, Ted Johnson, Curtis Martin, Terry Glenn, Lawyer Milloy, and Tedy Bruschi, all during the Bill Parcells era in New England. Not only did he bring in some of the franchises greatest all-time players during his tenure here in New England, but he also brought a new atmosphere to the team. Sure his press conferences were a media spectacle from Sunday to Sunday, but with his addition in 1993, a new wave of the Patriots took over. New uniforms, a new logo, new ownership between '93 and '94 with the Kraft's taking over, and then the pinnacle of success of reaching the Super Bowl against Brett Favre and the Green Bay Packers. With his era, a hope to the Patriots was restored and he very much deserves credit for being apart of all that was done to setup the Patriots in later years. As a coach and as a partaker in General Managing duties, he was phenomenal with the Patriots. In New York, with the Giants, he helped coach a team to a great Super Bowl victory. With Dallas, he and Jerry Jones teamed up to make, (as I pointed out already), the nucleus of todays Cowboys roster. In Miami as a football operations guy, he's completely changed the atmosphere there too. No matter what position he is in, he does an excellent job. For you to nitpick and critique so intensely says a lot about your expectations and how high they are, which isn't always the best thing.

I'm just pointing out that Parcells is a great football guy compared to those before and after him thus far. He cooks a very good meal and he buys pretty damn good groceries.

Overrated because character doesn't seem to be as much of a priority as russgriswold assumes it should be? Com'on. No matter where Parcells goes, whether he's taking over the 2-14 1992 Patriots, 1-15 1996 Jets, 1-15 2007 Dolphins, or 5-11 2002 Cowboys, he helps improve the team dramatically one way or another. What level of involvement he has in each organization and to what precise degree? How the hell does anyone measure that? There is a lot more going on than we can truly account for and to act like we know who's doing what where, when, how, and why is too much for anyone to assume. That much should be obvious. Parcells title and general responsibilities don't negate his involvement in every facet of the game. I'm pretty sure no matter where he's been or where he is going, his word is always considered regardless of circumstance. He's developed a respect over his large body of work. How does this sound? "Oh Bill is our head coach and he's done so much for us already. But we don't need his help on these draft prospect, we can do completely without his word. It doesn't matter. Oh, he likes that free agent? We'll just disregard that. He wants to re-sign that player because he likes him enough to think he'll advance our team? Well forget it, we can spend the money on a replacement."

If that's the type of mindset and circumstance multimillion dollar businessmen functioned beneath then it's no wonder their franchise never won a Super Bowl. My point is that Parcells likely did his part to influence certain decisions without the title of "GM" attached to his paycheck. Success isn't necessarily one mans doing, but there is a clear trend behind Bill Parcells body of work that suggests he is good at what he does.

As for how this relates to Phillip Merling's arrest? So what, a dude got in trouble. That only makes Parcells overrated? Reminder: Phillip Merling is still, as far as we know, a talented football player on the Miami Dolphins with a team that has acquired other extremely talented football players and is poised to see growth as a team from last year. Therefore Parcells is overrated. ?

russgriswold, you make some fantastic points about character potentially catching up with the investments made under Parcells as a GM and how much improvement actually should be expected considering the situations he's stepped into, as well as the help he's received from other "personnel people", but I completely disagree with the notion that he is overrated because of those things. When you take into consideration all that he brings, the weight of those "negatives" seems very light.

I'm starting to think you're the one being stubborn here or leaving something out of your posts.

Even if Bill Parcells doesn't put as much stock into intelligence and character, the people he has brought into Miami, Dallas and New York (the Jets) have helped him turn those teams around. Sure, there is risk with every investment made. But you seem too caught up in that risk. Because Parcells adds assets some may deem poor in terms of character and intelligence, the investment overall is too risky and thus your reason for Parcells being overrated as far as his personnel managing skills? I think you're reading too deep into certain things while dismissing other possibilities too quickly. I mean, I could be wrong here but as far as I can tell, we're at a complete disagreement.

I don't have an issue with someone saying Parcells is an overrated personnel man, I just don't think it's true. I've listed players from New England and Dallas as well as mentioned how each teams records and overall atmosphere has improved under Parcells watch. He drafts well, regardless of character. His free agent signings over the years have also worked out for the better. Not every great player and coach and GM wins a Super Bowl, you know. Is that what you mean by proven success?

Well those GM's are great too. They recognize talent and most of them are able to replenish their teams through the offseason on a consistent basis without too many blunders. That's what Bill Parcells does as well. He's just got a different resume from most of them. What makes Parcells special is that he did coach and he was good at that too. He's good in a GM-type role too, clearly. I was never under that impression that he was way beyond anyone else in terms of who he added to his player rosters over the years, I just think his presence is huge for any team because he comes with a history and a character himself that is distinct. You know that you're getting better, very quickly, with Parcells. Multifaceted, distinguished, and a franchise reviver if I ever knew of one. That's what Bill Parcells is to me, as far as being a football person.

In the future, present a context behind your claims so that the people reading your stuff have a scope to go off of. You not only made me feel like I was missing something, but in the process you must have confused yourself trying to break down my different responses.

Your idea of accomplishment is nothing short of a Super Bowl or at least an AFC Championship appearance. Everything else is NOTHING. Is that correct? That's all I'm getting from you. Your entire argument so far has really been based loosely on just a few different player names, Brandon Marshall's in particular. You keep harping on how much of a risk that acquisition is and then countering it with your opinion as if to reenforce some point you think you made for Parcells being overrated. "These risks and these few draft picks that didn't pan out prove Parcells is an overrated personnel guy."

What else do you have to support your argument? Has he just not held the title long enough? Instead of now saying how I don't like what you're saying, try to explain why I should change my opinion. I won't respond at all, I'll just read what you have to share with me, but it must be more comprehensive than what you've provided already.